Network security systems often transmit security management data between a management server and a plurality of client computers over a corporate intranet, in order to protect client computers from mobile code For example, corporate anti virus software regularly sends queries from a server to clients, to ascertain which version of a signature file the clients are using, and sends signature updates to the clients, as necessary; and the clients regularly send query responses, identifying the version of their current signature file, to the server, and send event logs, such as a report about a virus discovered on a client, as necessary, to the server.
Similarly, network management applications, such as OPENVIEW®, a product of Hewlett Packard Co. of Palo Alto, Calif., and UNICENTER®, a product of Computer Associates International, Inc. of Islandia, N.Y., regularly transmit network management data between a server and clients.
Management data is typically transmitted back and forth over a network typically using a proprietary non-HTTP protocol, and thus creates additional traffic, above and beyond the HTTP traffic. Such additional traffic increases the number of packets traveling on the network, and the processing required to handle them.